Mkaratigwa, Chitando be the Champions of progress!
Zimbabwe is in the process of reforming the Mines and Minerals Act through the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill.
The current Mines and Minerals Act of 1961 is an outdated legislation with unlimited challenges which have been affecting the ability of the nation to realise maximum mineral resource beneficiation especially for the locals who are operating as artisanal and small-scale miners.
The government has, over time, made various attempts to amend the mining regulatory regime targeting the Mines and Mineral Act but these efforts have not led to a final product being gazetted.
The Mines and Mineral Amendment Bill, according to the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), seems to have lost its momentum after years of constantly amending and strengthening it to resolve predominant challenges within the mining value chain.
Since 2012 when the Mines and Minerals Act Amendment started, the government has preferred to address some of the highlighted mining challenges using alternative means such as through policies and statutory instruments rather than endorsing the proposed Bill into effect.
Finalisation of the Mines and Mineral Amendment Bill will, among other things, make Hon Edmond Mkaratigwa, the Mines and Mining Development Portfolio Committee chairperson and Hon Winston Chitando, Mines and Mining Development minister, the greatest administrators after 1980.
The finalisation of the Bill has the ultimate answer of eradicating problems in the mining sector.
The 100-tonne gold output underpinned with the US$12 billion target by 2023 can be achieved if these authorities put in place friendly mining policies and bills.
Therefore, these two should push for the finalisation of the new Mines and Minerals Act before their terms of office ends in 2023.
If a new minister or a chairperson is chosen next year, this will, however, destabilise progress made so far.
For Zimbabwe to optimally benefit from the mining sector, it is critical that Parliament (Mkaratigwa at the forefront) crafts a sound legal framework that also addresses the urgent need for geomagnetic exploration of mineral deposits along the Great Dyke.
This will buttress the desire by the government to grow the mining industry from a US$3 billion to a US$12 billion annual gross turnover sector by 2023.
In that context, policymakers also need to insist on ensuring that there is a comprehensive national mining policy that must form the bedrock of the country’s mining laws and attendant regulations.
Hon. Winston Chitando and Edmond Mkaratigwa, the ball is in your court! Make this happen and become champions of progress.
New Mines and Minerals Act should be finalised now!